Projected, Rochester Baseball and Softball Regional Projections

Written Monday June 3rd, at 1:15 PM

The regional is set and eight district champions will play this weekend at Rochester. Both Lake Orion and Hartland have both their baseball and softball teams in this regional. Adams baseball comes in under 500 to this regional and Stoney Creek is very good this season. Romeo and Lake Orion are ranked in the state in softball. In Baseball, Lake Orion and Hartland are ranked and play each other this weekend. These are the projections for the Rochester regional.

Rochester’s fields are very big and spacious so it will be very tough to hit home runs but if you’re a fan of small ball or big open spaces, you’ll probably like this field. In baseball, Lake Orion, Adams, and Stoney Creek are familiar with the field because all three teams are in the Red. In softball, Lake Orion and Troy should be familiar playing Rochester in the Red while Romeo has some as well playing Rochester in districts a few times.

Softball Projections

LAKE ORION VS HARTLAND: The Dragons are coming into the regional winning its first district since 2008 and taking out its arch rivals Clarkston at home. Lake Orion has won 30 games, including the Red title this season. The Eagles meanwhile did not win the KLAA crown but they have been red hot as well, they are 16-2 in their last 18 games and also went into White Lake and took out state power and arch rival White Lake Lakeland in the district finals. Both teams have power lineups with Rachel Dolland of the Dragons and Lindsay Pajot of the Eagles and stellar pitching staffs (Lake Orion in Sierra Gonzales and Hartland in Abby Minkster.) Both teams can hit anyone right now but the key will be pitching in this match up. Gonzalez struck out five and allowed six hits in the Clarkston game while Minkster had six strikeouts and allowed five hits against Lakeland. Both pitchers like to feature their off speed pitches which makes this game an interesting match up. I think who ever plays small ball and the team that makes the less mistakes will win this game and the travel east and lack of familiarity could bother the team from Livingston County but it might not and we could be in for a tight ball game. PICK: LAKE ORION BY 1.

ROMEO VS TROY: The Colts feature freshman Taylor Schmidt, who pitched 14 innings, allowed two hits, and struck out 16 combined in both the Colts games against Troy Athens and Rochester Adams in the district playoffs. She had a no hitter against the Highlanders in the district finals. Schmidt will be in for a tough task with the murders row that Romeo has in their lineup. The Bulldogs features a lineup that is dangerous in junior Geordin Craun who not only pitches but hits well. Romeo also has Taylor Weaver who is a strikeout pitcher and a very good hitter as well and then you add Danielle Szanja, Morgan Gardner, Christina Figurski, and Kayla Noch among others. I think that Troy has to be perfect if they want any means of an upset and Schmidt might have to pitch the exact same way she did against Adams to have a chance if not then the Colts will have a very tough time with the murders row lineup that Romeo will bring and Schmidt could give up a lot of runs. I see the Bulldogs moving on to the regional final easily over the Colts. PICK: ROMEO BY 8.

Projected Regional Final:

LAKE ORION VS ROMEO: The Dragons have had a special season and they can hit anyone but so can the Bulldogs. In what should be a high scoring game, both teams can score runs, come from behind, and find ways to win. I think this will be a wild and crazy game more like a 13-12 game. Romeo is the best team in this regional on paper and with it’s murders row lineup it might be enough to move on to the quarterfinals. PICK: ROMEO BY 1.

Baseball Projections

LAKE ORION VS HARTLAND: In what will be a pitchers duel between Nick Deeg and Jake Lowery, Hartland eliminated Lake Orion last season in the district at Hartland but they did not see Deeg pitch, though it was Brad Schaenzer who pitched in that regional final last season. It will be very tough to hit home runs with Rochester’s baseball field being so long and far so who ever plays small ball will move onto the regional final. I think with the Eagles having to travel into Oakland County could have a small impact and the Dragons pitching maybe better than they were last year. I can see Lake Orion getting revenge here and beating a very good Eagles team and finding a way to expose Lowery. PICK: LAKE ORION BY 2.

ADAMS VS STONEY CREEK: The Highlanders won the Troy district by beating the Colts 5-2 in the district on Troy’s home field. Troy won the Blue this season while Adams was under 500 and played in the vaunted Red. Stoney Creek won the Romeo regional and has beaten their Tienken Road rivals three times this season. It’s always hard to beat a team four times in a season and with Joe Cox and Shawn Scullen batting the way they are it could very well happen but don’t count Adams and its pitching staff out, I’ll bet Jeff Hall will be thinking of something. I think the Highlanders will be ready for this match up with the Cougars at Rochester but in the end I think the Cougars will move on in a tight one. PICK: STONEY CREEK BY 1.

Projected Regional Final:

LAKE ORION VS STONEY CREEK: The Dragons have won all four match ups with the Cougars this season including a dramatic 5-4 win to share the Red with Clarkston at Lake Orion on the last day of the regular season. The Dragons are pitching very well right now and with their three top pitchers I think they can give anybody in the state, problems right now. Stoney Creek however has seen Deeg and Schaenzer but they have come on the wrong end of the scoreboard but we’ll see what happens. PICK: LAKE ORION BY 4.

We'll see what happens folks.